Susan's guest this episode is Forrest Martin, CAL FIRE Captain and First Responders Resiliency Breathwork Instructor. Forrest discusses some of the science behind the Wim Hof method and the positive impacts it has on your body and brain.

Some of us likely spent the last couple of months indulging in foods and drinks that are outside of our typical diets. Don't beat yourself up if you overindulged, but take the new year as an opportunity to get back on track. Give yourself some grace and realize that what's best for your physical and mental health is to maintain balance in all aspects of your life. Eric Strom and Susan Farren give some pointers and information on setting goals, the gut-brain connection, and why this is important.

If you just read "Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah" in Tod Ceruti's voice, then you've been through one of his tactical resiliency classes. Tod is one of our most-requested instructors and not your traditional yoga teacher. Tod's history has led him to a place where he's able to find joy in life again. Hear about that journey and how if you open yourself to new ideas, joy is possible.

Retired Fire Captain Eric Strom is back this week to discuss Exercise with Sue Farren. If you could take a pill that would reduce stroke risk, make you more resilient to stress, and lower depression & anxiety, and the pill is free with no prescription, would you take it? Most people would say, “Yes, of course!” That pill does exist…and it’s exercise!

Retired Fire Captain Eric Strom joins Susan Farren for a discussion on nutrition and its impact on the emotional and psychological wellbeing of first responders. Most people don't realize how big of an impact what you eat has on your mental health. You can avoid the pitfalls of anxiety and depression with a good nutrition plan.

Susan Farren and Ron Shull discuss the effects of being a first responder on the body and brain. Our body stores our experiences and emotions and this changes the physical structure of our brains.

Susan Farren and Ron Shull, FRRI Instructor, discuss the science behind sleep and sleep deprivation. How our bodies repair themselves is through food, but when our bodies repair themselves is through sleep. Learn what happens in our brains when we sleep and how not enough quality sleep affects us.

First Responders often feel the burden of busyness that can create a form of paralysis where they don't know where to begin with their to-do list. First, figure out where you're stuck and then start with small steps to work on the solution. In this episode, Sue and Bailey discuss the HALT method and give effective tips for how to make progress in productivity.

Episode 7 - "Bad Days" Many of us love to hate the bad days in our lives. When we face daily struggles, we might find ourselves living in our thoughts, listening less to our bodies and more to that constant loop (radio station KF*CK) of said bad day. Remember when we talked about the things we think can directly affect the experiences we feel? Changing those thought patterns and perceptions on any given day can be a clear path to either aggravating or calming our nervous systems. The parasympathetic nervous system loves when we slow down and getting curious about the things that stimulate our creativity and joy. You are worth investing your time and energy into everyday.  Tune in to hear more about the ways in which we can get out of our heads and back into our bodies for when we have those bad days. www.resiliency1st.org

Episode 6 - "The F Word"  Listen to Susan Farren and Bailey Farren talk about the "F" word. No, not that... Feelings! Emotions and feelings are not easy topics for first responders, but they have a major effect on our lives and more importantly, our relationships. Emotions can be described as "energy in motion". The things we allow ourselves to think about will ultimately determine many of the things we feel that then shows up in our behavior. First responders learn to suppress their emotions, in order to do their work effectively, and will begin to struggle to switch their emotions and feelings when they are on- or off-duty. Tune in to see how you can properly build the habits that balance your emotions and bring the joy back into your life.

Episode 5 - "Serenity and Sobriety" Introducing Resiliency Instructor and Retired CHP Commander, Cathy Wayne.  Listen to Cathy and Susan talk more on the topic of substance abuse and the power of recovery and how YOU can pave the road to recovery.

Episode 4 - "What are you 'sinking' about?"  How does negative thoughts affect your brain? Tune into Bailey and Susan talking about another mindfulness-based practice around the thoughts you think can directly change your behavior. The power of being present and changing thought patterns can help you rapidly train your brain to think more positively.

Episode 3 - "The Surrender Experiment" Listen to Susan and Bailey discuss one of their favorite books, The Surrender Experiment, and how the concepts we teach at our seminars tie directly to the wellness strategies of first responders and their families.

Episode 2 - "Going to the Mind Gym" Introducing Resiliency Instructor and Retired Fire Engineer, Ron Shull.   Tune in to hear Ron Shull and Susan Farren talk about Meditation, an incredible tool for resiliency and the benefits of its "Invisible Progress".

Episode 1 - "I See A Lot of This In First Responders" Welcome to the Resiliency 1st Podcast!   Join your co-hosts, Susan Farren, Founder and Executive Director of First Responders Resiliency, Inc.® (FRRI), and Bailey Farren, CEO of Perimeter, as they speak to the origin story of First Responders Resiliency, Inc., and how we are fighting to improve the lives of first responders and their families.  New episodes released on Monday's.  Learn more about what's new at FRRI: https://linktr.ee/frri